Photo: Volvo
Not much time is left until Volvo pulls the wraps off its first electric car, the XC40, and more and more pieces are beginning to fall into place. Last week, we learned a bit about the car’s safety systems, and now its time for a closer look at its design.
In a bid to keep the public’s interest high before the official unveiling on October 16, Volvo decided to give us a closer look at the car’s front and rear ends.
The electric XC40 is built on the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) that was designed with electrification in mind. But since it is still only a derivative of the XC40 line that was introduced in 2017, that means there’re going to be a lot of similarities between the two. With a few exceptions, of course.
At the front, for instance, the car’s usual grille has been covered up, giving this particular SUV a distinct look; the resulting piece of hardware hides underneath it the sensors for the car’s driver assistance systems.
When popping the hood, the XC40 reveals a frontal trunk that can accommodate 30 liters of cargo. At the rear, the XC40 EV is different from the source car thanks to the elimination of the tailpipes.
“Without the need for a grille we have created an even cleaner and more modern face, while the lack of tailpipes does the same at the rear,” said in a statement Robin Page, head of design at Volvo Cars.
“This is the approach we will explore more and more as we continue down the road of electrification.”
Volvo says the car will be offered in eight exterior colors, one of which completely new, and a contrasting black roof as standard. Two new wheel designs are also on the table. On the inside, there will be a new driver interface designed to provide EV-specific functionalities.
Volvo claims the XC40 EV will be one of the safest cars on the road thanks to the materials and assembly methods used.
The electric XC40 is built on the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) that was designed with electrification in mind. But since it is still only a derivative of the XC40 line that was introduced in 2017, that means there’re going to be a lot of similarities between the two. With a few exceptions, of course.
At the front, for instance, the car’s usual grille has been covered up, giving this particular SUV a distinct look; the resulting piece of hardware hides underneath it the sensors for the car’s driver assistance systems.
When popping the hood, the XC40 reveals a frontal trunk that can accommodate 30 liters of cargo. At the rear, the XC40 EV is different from the source car thanks to the elimination of the tailpipes.
“Without the need for a grille we have created an even cleaner and more modern face, while the lack of tailpipes does the same at the rear,” said in a statement Robin Page, head of design at Volvo Cars.
“This is the approach we will explore more and more as we continue down the road of electrification.”
Volvo says the car will be offered in eight exterior colors, one of which completely new, and a contrasting black roof as standard. Two new wheel designs are also on the table. On the inside, there will be a new driver interface designed to provide EV-specific functionalities.
Volvo claims the XC40 EV will be one of the safest cars on the road thanks to the materials and assembly methods used.
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